Driving in Saskatchewan winters is hard for any seasoned driver who has lived in Saskatchewan their whole life, let alone someone new to the country. That’s why the Southeast Advocates Newcomer Services are presenting a brand-new virtual workshop to help newcomers to Canada handle driving in adverse conditions.
The Winter Road Safety Workshop will be presented by CAA Saskatchewan on Friday, November 8th at 5:30 p.m. over ZOOM, and helps teach newcomers to Canada some essential tips for winter driving to keep themselves and those around them safe.
According to Ohjay Javier, a Settlement Advisor with Southeast Advocates, this is the first time the workshop will be held. He said the idea came from a chat he was having with his supervisor Shannon Fodchuk, as they shared stories from last winter's heavy snowstorm.
“Her husband wondered how many people must be stuck out in the snow," he explained. "While helping those people who were stuck, they found out that a lot of those struggling were newcomers or people who hadn't driven much in winter weather. So, it was a reminder of how challenging our winter is going to be, especially for people who aren't familiar with icy roads and low visibility.”
Partnering with CAA Saskatchewan allows the Southeast Advocates to have someone with knowledge and experience with winter driving to provide tips and ways to stay safe on the roads. They will be discussing safety practices and leading an information session to help newcomers transition to winter driving in Saskatchewan more smoothly. Javier provided a sample of some of the tips given at this event.
“Just always drive slower than usual and increase the distance between you and the car ahead. As you know during winter, stopping can take much longer on icy roads.”
He said with the event being virtual as an online conference service, it enables those from out of town to be able to take part with free registration along with some nice bonuses thanks in part to CAA Saskatchewan.
“They're giving away a $20 off promo code for their roadside membership and they already sent us some of their gift packs that we're going to give out to all the participants and there is a bonus. So here at Southeast Advocates, we actually have a driver's education program. So, if you participate in that workshop, you get a chance to secure a guaranteed spot in our driver's education program.”
Javier said he hopes this can help entice newcomers, or those just looking for tips on driving in the winter, to attend the virtual event and stay safe on the roads.
For more information and how to register, call the Southeast Advocates number either in Estevan at 1-306-634-1441 or in Weyburn at 1-306-842-9165.